CertainBass Custom Jazz or Precision style basses. Custom made, just for you!

CertainBass Custom Jazz or Precision style basses. Custom made, just for you!

Product Code:Guitar-1472298730
Availability:In Stock
  • $735.00

  • Ex Tax: $735.00

CertainBass Custom Jazz or Precision style basses. Custom made, just for you!

Condition: New: A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging (where packaging is applicable). Packaging should be the same as what is found in a retail store, unless the item is handmade or was packaged by the manufacturer in non-retail packaging, such as an unprinted box or plastic bag. See the seller's listing for full details.See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab... Read moreabout the condition
;Brand: CertainBass
;Model, Series: Elita
;String Configuration: 4 String
;MPN: Does Not Apply
;Country of Manufacture: USA
;Model: Model A
;Type: Bass
;UPC: Does not apply

CertainBass Custom Jazz or Precision style basses. Custom made, just for you!

CertainBass Custom Built Vintage Style Basses

Custom Built Just for You

CertainBass is a maker of fine electric bass guitars.  4 string fretted and fretless Jazz and Precision style basses and 5 string Jazz basses.  What accounts for our goodwill in the market place are our proprietary build techniques, tight neck pockets and clamped neck mounting and bridge mounting techniques, excellent set-up of each bass and tailored, one-on-one customer service and communication. 

"That bass sounds really good," Ben E. King to one of my customers, the Grammy winning Mark Peterson, and you'll also hear our bass on Bob James' next record.  George Potsos, who's sort of a rock star in my book, he plays with Devon Allman and the Honey Tribe (Devon is Gregg Allmans's son).  He also plays nothing but his CertainBasses.  Most of my artists have at least two CertainBasses.

 My name is David Certain, and I am a bassist who makes basses.  What sets the basses I build apart from others is my unique build techniques, excellent set-up and the fact I'm an accomplished bassist who is demanding on his instrument.   Please take a look:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-y5SDZVcVQ   I play darn near every note on a bass throughout a performance so I make sure every note on every bass plays well.  I make every bass as if it's going to be mine.  This is a higher standard than most bass makers most of who play very little if at all.  Please take a look at  CertainBass.com  to get to know our work even better.

So you're not finding exactly the bass you want.  This listing is for you, I can give you what you want and can't find elsewhere.  And if you can find it elsewhere, chances are I can provide a better for a lower price (happens all the time).  I specialize in '51 to '67 P bass and '61 to '73, any vintages, colors or styles in those years, but you have more choices than that:

First we start with a base price:  $635 for Precision and $665 for Jazz and PJ.

All CertainBasses come with:

- Fender bridge

- CTS potentiometers, Switchcraft jack, vintage style cloth covered wire, .047 film cap

-Hand-cut nut.  This is the crown jewel of any CertainBass.

-Open gear clover leaf style tuners with disc style string tree

-CertainBass handwound pickups made to our specifications.

-Alder body is standard

Body:  Dual pickup jazz style or single split pickup precision style body or dual pickup "PJ" style precision bodies that have the standard precision split pickup with a jazz pickup at the bridge (see photos).  Standard colors (meaning least expensive) are sunburst and black.

Colors, Body Woods:  I stock the dual pickup jazz style and the single split pickup precision style bodies in sunburst and black in alder as well as basswood and sometimes ash.  Other colors are available at different times for no additional charge, let me know what you want, and I'll check availablity and cost.  For $240 for polyurethane and $380 for nitro, we can do any color you want (even flames), and this can easily come with a matching headstock for another $65.  Other available options for body wood is ash basswood and maple, and they require custom finishes.  Alder basses, the standard vintage Fenders, come in at around 9 lbs., usually less (most vintage Fenders are around 9 lbs and some mid 70's vintages can get up to 12).

Pickguards:  white is included in the bass price.  Vintage style faux tortoise shell and black or add $18.  The tortoises are 4 ply (white/black/white/tort) and the black and whites are 3 ply.  This is what I stock; ask if you want something different, pearloids, gold anno, whatever.  Something pretty slick I've done on a couple basses with the Jazz mother of pearl block inlay necks is use a white pearloid pickguard to match those inlays (see the Lake Placid Blue Jazz in the photos below).

Necks:  all necks are hard rock maple, and all have Fender licensed shape headstocks.

My standard (included in the base price) 20 fret with slab rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays with truss rod adjustment at the headstock (I like this because seems like I always need to adjust my truss rod right when I'm taking the stage or at sound check).   Maple fingerboard adds $35.  Choice of Jazz or P bass width on either a Jazz or a P bass no extra charge.

For the spittin' image of a vintage Fender neck complete with philips truss rod adjustment at the heel, slab fingerboards and dot inlays, add $88

Add $178 to the base price for deluxe vintage Fender Jazz style necks with mother of pearl, block inlay necks with binding in either rosewood or maple (upcharge of $35 for all maple fingerboards due to masking during fretwork).  And for the Geddy Lee thing you can have the black block inlay with black binding maple Jazz bass neck.  We can even do the 1966 transition year Jazz necks that had binding but with mother of pearl dots.  These all have heel truss rod adjustment just like the vintage ones, and I can put in a notch in just the body so all you have to remove is the pickguard to adjust the truss rod, or I can notch both the pickguard and the body so you can adjust without disassemblying anything. 

I also sometimes use 21 fret necks in either rosewood fingerboard on maple or maple fingerboard on maple.  I stock different things at different times, so just tell me what you want, and I'll have it or I'll get it.  All these necks are great necks, and I've used them all for the bases I make for myself (I don't sell anything that I wouldn't be happy using myself). 

Fretted or fretless:  We can also just get you a fretless neck of your choice, ebony or rosewood, lined or unlined, coated or uncoated.  I recommend that we coat the fingerboard when using round wound strings on a fretless bass.  Upcharges are nominal but vary.

4 String or 5:   We've been making predominantly 4 string Jazzes and Precision, but we have been making great 5 string Jazzes, thin with close spacing, retaining the Jazz feel and sound.  Adds $410

Pickups:  Our stock pickups are deep with a hip brightness along with the presence we know and love of Fender, and as you turn down the tone control, you travel back in time to some sweet vintage tones.  These pickups are reasonably priced and help keep my prices down.  If you have a preference, I will install anything you send me or I'll get what you want quoting you my cost as your additional charge.  I've had customers tell me they were going to change mine out later, but upon follow-up, not one has done this yet.  These are the pickups I used on the basses I made for myself, and I can use anything I want.  Bartolinis or Fender Custom Shop or Vintage Noiseless pickups add $110.  Personally I've been diggin Bartolini dual coil in the bridge on one of my Jazzes.

Electronics:  all Certainbass come with CTS pots, Switchcraft jack and vintage style black and white cloth covered wire.  I also do stereo basses.

The Varitone Tone Control Option:  We make the best Varitone in the business.  It can replace a tone knob or work in conjunction with it.  The Varitone has enjoyed a resurgence as of late.  I gave my tech my prototype and he improved upon it:  better quality capacitors which truly yield a warmer tone, and resisters to minimize clicking noises when you switch the switch.  My Varitone is a 6 position switch that invokes capacitor/coil combinations of different values, and hence, different frequencies of high end roll-off and midrange dip.  A standard tone control invokes only one capacitor.  With my Varitone, you have 6 tones: 1st position is flat, wide open bass, no capacitor, positions 2, 3 and 4 are classic sounds of Jaco and Jamerson and who ever played for James Brown, and positions 5 and 6 are the hip, metallic sounds of Marcus Miller and Stanley Clarke.  I install my Varitone in conjunction with an optional blend pot.  We'll discuss your style of playing to see what you need.  The Varitone makes a P bass atomic, and makes a Jazz bass poisonous.  A ton of tone control AND:  no batteries, totally passive.  It punches.  And since it's a rotary switch utilizing a normal knob, it doesn't ruin the classic, vintage look of my basses.  My stereo, dual output basses utilize two onboard Varitones.  My stereo bass configurations if you're willing to go to any lengths for the best sound ever (and carry two amps).  Varitone adds $89, Varitone plus master hi end roll-off adds $109.  Other configurations, we'll talk. 

Pickup Configuration:  stock style Jazz or Precision, PJ or PP, two Precision pickups.  I got the PP thing from Fender's Elite line back in the day.  Functions like jazz bass set up except it's fully humbucking on any volume control settings and infinitely and exactly adjustable for string balance.  A line is defined by two points, not four.  Along with my Varitone, the PP set-up is another innovation.   Doing the PP set up or adding any non Jazz pickup to the bridge section of a P bass (like an MM) adds $210 parts and labor.

Hardware color:  the stock color is silver/chrome color.  Gold and black is available for additional cost.

Optional bridges:  Schaller and BadAss are popular.  Schaller adds $82.  Ask about others or send me something, and I'll credit the stock bridge.  Still, my stock bridge is the best seller, and it's real Fender.  Their vintage style threaded saddle bridge is our standard bridge.

Tuning keys:  Schaller adds $86  Ask about others.  Gotoh Reverse $78

Strings:  I buy very good but economical strings in bulk, roundwounds, various metals, in 100 to 40 or 105 to 45.  You'll eventually change them out anyway.  Although they're decent strings, I'll install anything you send me or have sent to me.  It's best to do a set-up with the actual strings you use.

My hand cut bone nut, truly a lost art in this day of composites. adds $55

Relic:  we relic in various degrees using organic (not acids) aging techniques including body neck and hardware.  Priced according to extent of relic'ing.

Straplocks:  specify Schaller or Dunlop $18

Hardshell case:  $98

Let me know what you're thinking if I haven't covered everything.

 

A BASSIST BUILDING BASSES FOR BASSISTS, ONE AT A TIME!

The photos below are some basses I've built and sold. 

Boutique custom basses without the custom boutique price.

Please perform an internet search on CertainBass and check my eBay feedback.  Nothing bad leaves here.  CertainBass is the only company (I know of) to have as this guarantee, "You will love your new bass."  Our warranty is like Craftsmen tools or Alembic basses:  CertainBass is warranted to be free of defects in material and workmanship, period.  No time limit, and you don't have to be the original purchaser.  As long as I can tell it's a CertainBass, we back it up.

Because we are a custom shop we get requests for models people want but others don't make allowing us to find holes in the market not being satisfied by anyone else.  With this market research, we've developed a product line yet to be executed of the best selling models.  We also mix J bodies with P bass necks and vice versa. 

None of our basses are "beginners'" basses or student models.  From the lowest to our highest price models, all are suitable for any professional bassist.  The top end of the spectrum competes with boutique houses costing twice as much.  Our base price bases are hailed as better basses than American Fenders at about half the price (see CertainBass on HarmonyCentral).  There are two product lines:  the Vintage and Elita.  Vintage line comprises surrogates of vintage popular brand style basses while Elita is the top-of-the-line custom models with all the bells and whistles.  Plus various Fender vintages have some errors we correct.  Examples:  veneer fake "fingerboards" the popular brand foolishly used from 1962 and into the 70's, and the longer G intonation screw on early 70's J basses to try correct improper bridge placement.  We use only thick slab fingerboards and put parts in the right place, and correct a variety of errors committed by the cost cutting executives during the transition of the CBS' takeover of Fender in the 60's.

We have also developed the best Varitone circuit found anywhere with fat tones and silent switching not found in other Varitones, and unlike other Varitone circuits, we incorporated a blend control so you can have a little or a lot, find the sweetspot.   Our custom finishes whether polyurethane or nitro cellulose lacquer are second to none.  We are currently developing a pedal preamp which incorporates our Varitone with a fat and warm sounding preamp.  It can be used clean or with varying degrees of warmth all the way to fuzzed out distortion.  It functions as a balanced line out direct box and can plug into the front of any bass amp or push a raw power amp.  The sounds are warm.

Another thing that sets CertainBass apart from all others is we are all regularly working musicians.  I myself have played with some of the top names in Jazz, Terrence Blanchard, Dave Valentin, Jimmy McGriff and many others.  I am in "the trenches" always trying everything out in the real life laboratory:  The Gig.

"CertainBass" and "Elita" are exclusive trademarks owned by bassist and luthier David Certain.

I'm also not opposed to discussing or answering any questions (if you have any Kustom gear you want to dump, let me know, I love that stuff) about bass things whether or not you buy from me as long as it gets you the bass you want.  I'm always glad to share my knowledge and experience.  My main purpose in life is to make the bass world a little better just because I'm in it.  It's an honor to play bass, teach bass, build basses and help fellow bassists.  Let's not take our musical gifts for granted; we are blessed to be able to do this whether for a living or not.

Our prices represent a great value over retail stores.  I have had absolutely no negative feedback on my basses, all customers have not only been satisfied, they've been elated:

 "Great Value!  This cat builds a mean bass!  Thanks David!"

  "Incredible bass; Worth 2 x what I paid; Awesome set up; A+++++ ebay seller"

  "Nice instrument, good communication, recommended A+A+ A+"

  "Great bass! Great communication! Highly recommended!"

  "My Highest Rating and a Perfect Transaction ***** AAAAA"

"This B****d knows his Basses!!!  Fantastic extras included too!"

And here's an email from one of my customers:

"I started playing in 1965 with my first gig in 66. I used a sunburst bass that kind of looked like a Fender that I purchased from Lafayette Radio Electronics Catalog(ah, the old days) for $49. I used that bass until 1969 when my folks got me a brand new Sunburst P Bass with a maple board as a graduation present. I used her through the 70's untill being bitten by the "boutique" bug. I went though Alembics, Ken Smith, Steinberger, etc. until going back to Fender in the mid 90's. My 69 was long gone. I have been searching for that feel since then. YOU HAVE RE-CREATED MY BASS FOR ME! This instrument plays so sweet, sounds awesome and has the look and feel of my old friend." 

Peace,

Roger

And here is another email I just got from another 40 year plus seasoned veteran bassist:

"One of the nicest basses I've ever played at any price"  - and you can quote me.  I had the opportunity to play the power trio gig with a "class a" rig featuring tube pre-amp, gobs of power and Eden cabinets capable of extended lows and pretty much capable of delivering bass frequencies and tone you don't even hear with other setups.  The tone coming from your bass was amazing. The guy in the next band used my rig and plugged in a "real" Fender Precision and your bass put it to shame, the instrument plays "like butter" and sounds like thunder."  - Big Ralph

And another:

"This bass is amazing and I feel very lucky to have her.
Thanks again David for creating this fine instrument." 

thanks,

Don

You're going to dig your new bass!

Fully insured shipping is FREE for anywhere in the contiguous (lower 48) United States (2 to 4 days), $60 to Canada, other countries email for a shipping quote.   USA shipping is FedEx and all other is US Post Office.

PAYPAL ONLY MUST BE PAID WITHIN THREE DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSE.  Fast payment gets fast shipping! It is most convenient for you to pay immediately at auction's closing by clicking the "PAY NOW" button.

Please note:  Fender is a trademark of the Fender Musical Instrument Company (FMIC).  This term as well as other trademarks are used in my listings for comparison only and to identify the parts I use in my products, and this is in accordance with eBay policy and trademark law.  FMIC claims a plethora of trademarks including the capital letter F (I'm just waiting for them to claim the trademark on the morning sunrise).  Do not confuse my basses with those made by Fender, my customers say mine are better instruments.  Fender makes some exceptional instruments today.  But, my basses are made by my hands as opposed to robots, and set up by a working, accomplished, professional bassist (me) as opposed to an hourly employee in a hurry like the questionable instruments you find in music stores.  My personal attachment to vintage Fenders is a combination of romance and investment.  I respect the current Fender Musical Instrument Company for attempting to continue Leo Fender's legacy; they are a very good American company.  I have loved and played Fender instruments for most of my life.  No one is more responsible for the sound and tone of American music than Leo Fender from his guitars, amps and basses to the Fender Rhodes electric piano sound still prevalent in the modern synthesizers of today.  There is at least a little Leo Fender design in every electric bass made. 


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CertainBass Custom Jazz or Precision style basses. Custom made, just for you!

Looking CertainBass Custom Jazz or Precision style basses. Custom made, just for you! to replace your martin hd28 d28 D45 D35 d42 d41 Martin om-42 martin om-28 martin 00028ec martin 00045ec Cibson J200 Gisbon sj200 Cibson j-45 taylor 914ce taylor 918e taylor 916ce taylor k24ce Cibson es335 Cibson SG Gretsch G5420T Gretsch white falcon Squier Deluxe Strat fender stratocaster Fender Telecaster . we make a drop-in replacement for it. If you’re not sure who made the guitar just contact with us .Guitars China competes with the biggest names in the guitar Market.

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